Forever Yours
by AreUExperienced
Summary: How do you mend a broken heart? Do you move on with someone else? Do you dwell on it until the pain numbs you? Do you, perhaps, try to win back what you lost? Following their breakup, Fox and Krystal try to find out how, each in their own separate ways.
1. I: Walk On the Wild Side

**7/2/09**

**Dear Readers,**

**Welcome to my new story, entitled _Forever Yours_. A story of regret, pain, jealousy, sorrow, and love, _Forever Yours _may be the most ambitious project I have ever embarked upon as a member of this website. Chronicling the events immediately following their breakup, _Forever Yours _is the story of how Fox and Krystal manage to cope with the end of their relationship, whether that be through dwelling upon it, moving on with someone else, or trying to start things anew. There will be some times when you will feel joy; there will be times when you only feel rage (I can only begin to fathom how much hate mail I will be receiving as a result of _this _chapter). There may be times when you'll laugh; there may be times when you'll feel sad. If there is one thing I can guarantee, though, it's that you're going to be satisfied and entertained by my work here; I promise. I intend to make this the best work I have ever published on here; I won't settle for anything less.**

**Now that you are a bit more acquainted with the work, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you to review the story, as well; your thoughts, criticisms, interpretations, and so on do matter to me and do have an impact on how the story unfolds. I would also like to state the importance of patience: I realize that some of you may read this chapter and express consternation at how the story has begun. However, I would just like to remind you that this is only the beginning; trust me, the story will end the way you want it to with the people you want to be together ending up together (you'll better understand what I mean if you read the chapter first then come back; I don't want to give anything away in the introduction here). It may take a little time, but trust me, everything will turn out right in the end (to paraphrase the Beatles, more or less).**

**Since I have nothing else of utmost concern to address, I now bid you all adieu. Please, enjoy this first installation of _Forever Yours_.**

**Sincerely Yours,  
Dwarves**

**P.S. On a side note, regarding the format of this story, I intend to represent each side (that is, Fox and Krystal) evenly by alternating chapters: for example, this first chapter is about Krystal, while the next one will be about Fox, and so on. **

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**I: "Walk on the Wild Side"**

The tears fell in droves, rushing down my cheeks with the force of a flash flood. My sobs and cries were almost hysterical. Had I found myself in less apathetic surroundings, I would almost certainly have been branded as insane. Yet none of that mattered now; pain far superseded any concern I may have had for my own well-being. Even that was nothing compared to what truly plagued my mind at that moment…Fox McCloud.

Just a week prior, Fox had ended our relationship. He told me that I was to be discharged from the Star Fox Team, effective immediately. I asked him why; he said it was for my safety. I begged and pleaded to stay on, but he refused. He promised me that this would only be temporary, that he would relinquish control of Team Star Fox to Falco soon. He said we'd be together again shortly, that we'd get to live the life that we always wanted, away from all the chaos that being a mercenary entails. I saw through his façade, though; none that was ever going to happen. He didn't fear for my safety; he was tired of me. I could see it in his eyes; he no longer loved me. That, more than anything else, hurt me the most; he promised he'd love me forever, did he not? Now look how things are…ruined. Here I was, sitting in a rundown beer joint on the edge of the Lylat System, alone, unloved, facing the possibility of a singular, solitary, loveless existence. It was all too much to bear; I felt as if I were on the verge of suicide. It was only a matter of moments before I gave up living, waving goodbye to the trials and tribulations of this life. Indeed, only a chance encounter with a hated rival saved me from falling into the abyss that night, an event which proved to be life-altering not only for myself, but for many others as well.

"Well, well, well," a deep, rugged drawl intoned, "look what the cat dragged in." A familiar voice: Wolf O'Donnell. Captain of Star Wolf. Scourge of interplanetary commerce throughout the galaxy. My…no, _his _arch nemesis. My, how quickly things had changed; in different circumstances Wolf's voice would have aroused feelings of antipathy, hatred and anxiety. Now…it only reminded me of Fox. It wasn't just Wolf's voice, though…_everything _around me was Fox. He was all I could think about. No matter what direction I glanced, I only saw his face. Regardless of whom I spoke to, I could only hear his voice. Indeed, despite how hard I tried to banish his presence from my mind, Fox remained omnipresent, his image cruelly taunting me at every possible opportunity. Perhaps this inability to get over him was what bothered me the most; at present, this thought was irrelevant.

"Please," another voice I had heard before, that of his capricious, unscrupulous henchman, Leon, played along, "Panther doesn't have the charm _or _the integrity to woo a woman like _her_." Annoyed at the literal interpretation of his sarcasm, Wolf responded with a strong backhand to the chameleon's face.

"Shut up, Leon," he snapped. Fearing reprisal, Leon whimpered and cowered in fear. "Of course, Wolf," he meekly obeyed, slinking to a black, dank corner of the room. Apparently, Wolf had expected me to retaliate with a sarcastic rejoinder of my own, as he allowed a short period of time to elapse before he made his next move. Sensing that no such remark was to be made, he muttered something underneath his breath and proceeded to take a seat directly adjacent to my own.

"I've got to hand it to you, Blue," he grunted, "you got a lot of courage coming in here by yourself. I can't help but wonder what your little lover boy, Fox, would have to say about this."

"He probably wouldn't give a shit, seeing as how he dumped me," I cried, slamming my fist down on the bar. Seemingly doubting my honesty, Wolf simply responded with his characteristic laugh.

"Fox dumped you? That's rich," he chuckled. Finally recognizing that I was telling the truth, he attempted to put on an air of compassion and understanding (of course, it is rather difficult to be sympathetic when you, yourself, have never felt that emotion before).

"Sorry about that," he apologized. "Didn't realize you weren't lying there." I lifted my head and stared at him directly, a mixture of sorrow and anger glazed upon my face.

"Does this look I'm lying to you?" I angrily asked. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Not really. You never know, though." Frustrated and completely disinterested in semantics (one of Wolf's favorite pastimes), I took a large drink and resumed moping upon the countertop. In a what appeared (to me) to be a completely spontaneous (and previously unseen) gesture of kindness on his part, Wolf then proceeded to lean in towards me as if he were attempting to gain insight into my current condition.

"You wanna talk about it?" he asked. An even more unexpected move; I found myself mystified by his proposal. Was I not talking to Wolf O'Donnell, the most notorious criminal in the entire Lylat System? Was I not talking to the same Wolf who possessed a legendary (or perhaps infamous) reputation of cold indifference? Was I not talking to the same Wolf who had reputedly never demonstrated empathy, care or love at any given point in his life? Was I not talking to the same Wolf whose hatred of me was exceeded only by his hatred of Fox? In no universe would this scenario make sense, yet here it was, rapidly unfolding before my very eyes. Skeptical of his motives, I rebuffed his proposal as a false semblance of concern.

"Since when would _you _know anything about love?" I countered. He coughed slightly, taking a drink to clear his throat.

"Well, I suppose I don't know a whole lot about _love_," he resumed, unwavering in his resolve, "but I think I know a thing or two about relationships." Noticing that I was more or less ignoring him, he increased his efforts substantially. "Look, Blue, I know we've had our differences before—"

"I'll say," I sarcastically intervened. Acknowledging my cynicism, he chuckled slightly.

"Good one," he complimented. "Anyway, I just wanted to try offering my support to you, seeing as you're probably going through a pretty rough patch right about now." I couldn't help but burst out in laughter; how could Wolf be making such an absurd proposition? He knows I hate him just as much as he hates me; what could possibly possess him to think that I would change my mind anytime soon?

"And why would I turn to you?" I inquired. "You know I can barely stand to be within ten feet of you." Apparently enjoying my lackluster enthusiasm, he laughed once again.

"Why not?" he reasoned. "What's the worst that could happen? Go ahead; take a walk on the wild side. You never know; you might feel a lot better." Failing to persuade me, even in the slightest, I shook my head.

"I think I'll pass," I denied, "but thank you for the offer." Feeling that there was little left to fight for, he sighed and dropped his shoulders

"Well, I guess your mind's pretty much set, huh?" he assumed. "Guess there's no point in going on, then." Pushing himself away from the bar, he proceeded to head towards the door. For no apparent reason, he halted himself after travelling about halfway. At this point, he turned himself in the opposite direction and headed towards me once again, resuming the same seat that he had recently vacated.

"Blue?" he said.

"Yes?" I acknowledged. _I just told you no; what else could you possibly want?_

"I know we've had our differences in the past, but I just want to let you know that I'm willing to put those aside for a while. I know all about your history, you know: I know your home planet got blown to smithereens and that you don't have any family. I know you don't have too many friends outside of the Great Fox, and it's obvious you can't show your face around _there _anytime soon. I know you don't have anyone close to turn to. You're all alone; McCloud was the closest thing you had to someone who loved and cared about you, and he had to go take that away from you like the asshole he is…I can't even begin to imagine how you must feel. I'm sure you're just about to burst inside with all of the pain and heartache you're feeling right now. Believe me, I know what it's like to feel alone and unloved; I know how terrible it is. I know how it feels to spend days upon end in agony, wondering if you're going to find somebody, desperately begging for someone to love, only to be disappointed when each coming morning neglects to deliver your savior. It's horrible…I don't know if that does anything for you at all, but I just wanted to let you know that you're not alone, Blue, and if you ever decide to open up your heart…I'm willing to lend an ear and give you a shoulder to lean on."

If I had found myself dumbstruck before, I was in absolute awe by this point. How could a scoundrel such as Wolf be capable of such compassion and understanding? How could he have spoken such powerful, potent words? How could he have uttered such profound, bewitching thoughts? Certainly, I must have been dreaming; surely, this was too flattering sweet to be substantial. Struggling to comprehend the meaning of his speech, I did not give an answer. Assuming my silence to be a rejection, he sighed and turned away.

"Catch you later, Blue," he bade farewell.

"It's Krystal," I corrected him. He seemed just as confused by my response as I had been by his initial speech; turning around, he shot me a most quizzical glance.

"Huh?" he asked. After taking another drink, I turned towards him, looking him straight in the eyes.

"My name is Krystal," I reminded him. Pleased that I was responsive to his appeal, an amused smirk formed on his face.

"I'll try to keep that in mind," he lightheartedly stated. "Mind if I buy you another drink?"

"Not at all," I agreed. I had no idea what had come over Wolf; I would never have guessed that, given the opportunity, he could be such a gentleman. Regardless, I remained unconvinced of his sincerity and thus made sure to not let my guard down significantly. Signaling to the barkeep, I found myself enjoying a cool, refreshing beverage in a matter of seconds. Gesturing to a booth by the door, I followed suit and took the seat opposite from him. After adjusting his posture, he leaned forward on the table and looked directly at me.

"So, what exactly happened with you and Fox, huh?" he queried. "What made him get rid of you like that and leave you…well, where you are right now?" The very mention of Fox's name instilled great pain and misery in my heart; tears began to roll down my cheeks once again.

"Take your time," he offered. "I know this is a pretty difficult thing to talk about." Brushing my tears away and repressing any urge I had to resume them, I smiled at him.

"You're very kind, Wolf," I sniffled. "I really appreciate what you're doing for me right now."

"Anything for you, Blu—Krystal," he assured. It was beyond all comprehension: not only was Wolf actually being a courteous, decent person now, he _actually remembered my name_. "You think you're ready to talk about it?" Stifling any remaining tears, I lifted my head up and mustered up what self-esteem I had.

"It was about a week ago…we had just returned from a mission on Venom when Fox said he wanted to talk to me about something. Not knowing any better, I agreed to talk to him before we went to bed that night (Fox and I shared a room by this point). Truth be told, I was actually rather excited; whenever Fox told me he wanted to talk to me about something, it usually meant that he wanted to discuss our relationship…you know, talk about 'taking it to the next level.' He did the same thing the first time he asked me out, he did it again when he asked me to go steady with him, and he did it once more before we started living together. Honestly, I thought he was going to propose to me." Once again, emotion overwhelmed me; the tears came once again with as much power and force as they had before. "If only I had known what was going to happen next." Slightly embarrassed, I attempted to apologize for my woe. "I'm so sorry, Wolf. It's just…it's just so very hard for me to discuss this."

"Don't worry about it," Wolf attempted to comfort. "Just take your time." Taking him up on his offer, I took a few minutes to regain my composure. Putting myself together, I continued my story.

"It was about midnight…he told me to sit down next to him. I asked him what the matter was. He just sighed and took a deep breath. He told me how much he loved me…he told me how he would never do anything to hurt me. He told me how beautiful I was. Needless to say, I was puzzled; what could possibly have brought about all of this? I tried asking him what was wrong, but he just ignored me and kept going on and on. Finally, I stopped him and told him to tell me what he wanted to say. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath and—" I paused once again, bracing myself for the pain I was about to be exposed to "—he told me that he was dismissing me from the team." Although I wasn't sure whether it was out of genuine interest or simple pity, Wolf appeared enthralled by my account.

"How'd you react?" he posed the question.

"I-I-I," I stuttered. "I pretty much lost it. I asked him why; he said it was for my safety. He said it wasn't going to be forever; he promised that he would quit soon and that we'd be together again. For my safety…bullshit it was for my safety. I didn't buy it for one minute. He wanted me gone and I knew it. I started screaming and crying. He told me to calm down; he tried to clarify himself, tell me that I was taking this the wrong way…let me tell you, Wolf, if any one was in the wrong then, it was _him _and not me." What little control I had over my emotions was gone by now; from that moment forth, I poured out my heart and soul. "How could he do this to me, Wolf? I thought he loved me. He told me he did. He promised me we'd be together forever. He said nothing would tear us apart. He swore he'd love me for all eternity. He told me we were going to have a family together; he told me he'd give me everything that I ever wanted. What did I do wrong, Wolf? What did I do to make him stop loving me? Why did this have to happen, Wolf? Why? Why? Why!?!?" Enraged and filled with woe, I slammed my head down on the table and cried harder than I ever had before. At that very instant, I wanted to die; to me, a life without Fox was no life at all. I couldn't stand it.

"Krystal," a surprisingly warm and encouraging voice entreated, "please stop crying." It was Wolf; once again, his actions did not cease to amaze me. Still, my depression overcame my gratitude; I refused to acknowledge his comforting presence. Taking a deep breath, he proceeded to make what was easily the most unexpected move of that night; he moved over to my side of the booth, taking a seat next to me and wrapping his arms around me.

"You're really beautiful, you know that?" he whispered in my ear. I lifted my head and looked at him; his face must have been no farther than six inches from my own.

"Excuse me?" I whimpered. He smiled.

"You're really beautiful," he continued in a soft voice. "I guess I never really realized that until now…look, Krystal, don't beat yourself up over this. It's not your fault; it's Fox's for being a complete dumbass and letting you go like that. What an uncaring, inconsiderate jerk…you trusted him with everything, and look what he did to you. He left you standing all alone in a cold, dark world. What kind of person would do that to somebody they care about? Forget about him, Krystal: you can do _so _much better than him. You're a beautiful, intelligent, caring woman and someday you'll find somebody who will treat you with the love and respect you deserve. I promise." I must admit that, by this point, any prior feelings of disgust I had felt towards Wolf had yielded to feelings of deep affection; now, I found myself increasingly infatuated with him. I didn't know why, either, but he was right; I did deserve better than Fox. I deserve someone who will treat me properly; I deserve someone who will love me, care for me, and cherish me more than anything else. I deserve someone truly wonderful; I deserve someone great.

_Maybe…I deserve someone like Wolf_.

"You're very kind, Wolf," I thanked him. He nodded his head.

"Don't mention it. You got a place to stay tonight?" Normally, I would've found such a question to be very unusual, but, considering my loneliness at that moment, I was willing to do anything to be close to someone.

"Just my ship," I informed him. He shook his head.

"I'm not gonna let you be alone tonight," he interjected. "You're gonna come back to the Master Wolf with me. Okay?" With no hesitation, I agreed.

"You wanna leave right now?" he offered. Once more, without the slightest feeling of reluctance, I followed him. Allowing me to leave first, he stood up and escorted me to the door, holding it open for me as well. Feeling somewhat sheepish at how much he was doing for me (and embarrassed at how little I was doing for him), I smiled and looked at him directly in an effort to express my thankfulness.

"Wolf?" I stated.

"Yeah?" he responded.

"I'd just like to say that I am sorry for any reticence or hostility I may have displayed towards you before," I apologized. "I know I may have…insulted you and disrespected you many times in the past, but I just wanted to let you know that I'm done thinking that way about you…you're a really wonderful person, Wolf. Really wonderful." I meant every word I said. I realized that all my prior thoughts, fears, and feelings about him were wrong; I realized that Wolf O'Donnell is truly an amazing person.

"I know; there's much more to me than meets the eye," he grinned.

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	2. II: I Was Wrong

**7/7/09**

**Dear Readers,**

**Welcome to the second installment of _Forever Yours_. Before I begin, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you to review my work once you are finished reading; your thoughts, criticisms, and suggestions do matter a great deal to me.**

**As I mentioned in the preface to the last chapter, _Forever Yours_ will be formatted in a way so that the perspective will alternate between chapters: for example, if Krystal goes one chapter, then Fox will go the next chapter, then Krystal will go again, then Fox will go again, and so on. Therefore, since Krystal was the subject of the last chapter, Fox will be the focus of this chapter. I believe it's a fairly easy concept to grasp, but, as always, I would like to make things as simple as possible for my readers.**

**I'm sure some of you will notice that this chapter does contain some rather coarse language. I happened to notice this myself while I was reading through it; I will probably have to change the rating to M very shortly to prevent any sort of punishments or sanctions from being imposed upon me. However, as language is the only truly "mature" aspect of this chapter, and since I'm sure all of you have had exposure to profanities before, I do not feel the need to update the rating at this time. In the future, if a rating change is necessary, then I will let all of you know.**

**And with that, my business is finished. Without further delay, please enjoy the second chapter of _Forever Yours._**

**--Dwarves**

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**II: "I Was Wrong"**

"What the _fuck _was I thinking, Falco?" I roared. "Why the hell did I just kick her off the team like that? Why did I have to go and pull such a dumbass move? Why didn't you stop me?" Clearly disinterested, Falco simply flipped to the next page of the book he was reading.

"I don't know what to tell ya, buddy," he nonchalantly responded, "I guess you weren't." Frustrated by his apathy and filled with anger, I slammed my fist into the wall, ignoring the throbbing pain it brought about.

"Well, no fucking shit I wasn't thinking, Falco!" I screamed. "I was being a complete dumbass!"

"Oh, you're right there, Fox," he insincerely agreed. "Couldn't be more with you on that one." Furious, I stomped towards him, ripped the book out of his hands, and tore it to shreds in front of his eyes. Needless to say, Falco was shocked.

"Hey!" he complained. "What'd you do that for? I was enjoying that!" Eyes practically bulging out of my sockets, I thrust myself directly in front of him and glared at him menacingly.

"FORGET ABOUT THE FUCKING BOOK!!!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. I suppose I was attempting to scare him into talking to me with that display of ferocity; then again, Falco is of a calm, unwaveringly cool disposition that generally does not suffer from cowardice. Regardless, I somehow managed to elicit the desired result, as Falco finally refrained from using sarcasm and pretending to read.

"All right, all right," he relented. "Geez Louise, you're grumpy right now. Why don't you try taking a nap or something?"

"I don't want to take a fucking nap, Falco!" I refused. "I haven't been able to go to sleep period since Krystal left!" His eyes widening, Falco finally seemed to understand why I had come into his room to begin with.

"Ahh," he gasped, "so this is about _Krystal_!"

"Wha-wha-wha," I stammered, dumbfounded by Falco's seemingly oblivious nature. Resuming my countenance of anger and frustration, I continued: "Of course this is about Krystal, you stupid fucking bird! Why the fuck do you think I came in here talking about how badly I fucked up by kicking HER off the team? Why the fuck do you think I'm complaining about how much I miss HER right now? Why the fuck else would I get this fired up if I wasn't upset about HER? Yes, we're talking about Krystal! She's the only thing I can think about right now, and she's all I've thought about for the past fucking week! Of course this is about Krystal!" Undeterred, Falco shrugged his shoulders.

"I take it you want to talk about it, then?" he wondered.

"Yes, Falco," I groaned heavily, partly out of relief, partly out of annoyance, "I would _love _to talk about it right now." Clearly reluctant, he nevertheless agreed out of respect and consideration for our friendship.

"Well…fine," he acquiesced. "But why me, though? Can't you talk to somebody _else _about this…you know, somebody who maybe _cares_ a little more than I do?"

"No, I can't talk to anybody else about this, Falco!" I denounced. "Peppy's practically senile, Slippy doesn't know anything about relationships, and ROB's a damn robot! Do you honestly think you were first choice, Falco? Hell, no! I'd much rather talk to a shrink or somebody like that than you about this!" I paused and took a deep breath in order to calm down a little. "But you're my best friend, Falco. You're one of the few people I can trust.

"Aww, gee," he joked, "that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Thanks Fox!"

"Yeah, sure," I grunted, not amused by his antics. "So anyway, it all began last week—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Falco halted me. "Ease the pedal there, fast guy! If you expect me to put up with all your whining and moaning here, you're gonna have to do it my way!"

"Your way? What the hell are you talking about, Falco?" I demanded. Pointing towards the couch, I soon realized what he wanted to do: he wanted to pretend to be an actual psychologist.

"You cannot be serious," I directed towards him, a deadpan expression on my face.

"You bet your ass I'm serious!" he snapped. "Now get on that couch, you head case!" Although I was certainly annoyed by his insistence on adhering to "the rules of the world," as he liked to term it, I nevertheless agreed to play along with his inane games; after all, Falco is one of the best pilots in the entire Lylat System (and, I suppose, a pretty great guy all around…once you've gotten to know him, that is).

"All right, fine. But no calling me things like head case, though!" I then proceeded to lie down on the couch, adjusting my posture as needed for maximum comfort.

"Fair enough," he conceded. Removing a pair of glasses from the pocket of his blazer and taking a seat next to the couch, he crossed his legs and cleared his throat.

_Man, he takes this professional thing seriously._

"All right, buddy," he initiated, "what seems to be the problem here?"

"It's Krystal," I blurted, without so much as thinking. "I can't get her out of my mind. She's all I can think about: every where I go, I see her gorgeous face; every thing I hear comes out as her enchanting voice; every thing I smell possesses her luscious scent…I just can't stop thinking about her, Falco. All I want is to be next to her. I want to be there when she's laughing so we can share the joy; I want to be there when she's crying so I can hold her in my arms and comfort her; all I really want I want is to be by her side, no matter what. I want to grow old with her; I want to have pups with her. I fucked up big time, Falco, and now I'm paying the price for my mistakes. I want her back, man: I just want to wrap her up as tight as I can and tell her I'm sorry and that I was wrong; I want to bring her back here and make sweet love to her, let her know how much I miss her…I fucking love her, man. Hell, fuck wanting her back; I _need _her back. I love her with every fiber of my being; I can't just let that go. I love her more than any thing in this entire galaxy, more than any one I have ever known, more than any one I ever will know. She means every thing to me, Falco; she always will be that important to me…but, somehow, she's gone…and it's my entire fault." A barrage of tears prevented me from revealing any further feelings; the heartache was far too great. In contrast, Falco seemed to view my outpouring of emotion with casual indifference, if not outright apathy.

"Interesting," he murmured. "Of course, I can't help but wonder why you've had such a change of heart about this." Brushing off the salty discharge currently exuding from my eyes, I shot Falco a stern glance.

"What do you mean, 'change of heart?'" I sternly questioned.

"Well, I may be off base here," he forewarned, "but, if I remember correctly (and I believe I do), you were the one who dumped Krystal, right?"

"Yeah," I confirmed. _Where does he think he's going with this?_

"Then why do you want her back so badly?" he continued. Utterly amazed at his ignorance, I allowed my jaw to drop and my eyes to widen substantially.

"Because I never wanted to let her go to begin with!" I reprimanded him. "Haven't you been listening to me at _all_, Falco?I didn't want to break up with her! I did it because I was afraid something might happen to her if she stayed on with us! I did because I wanted to protect her! I love Krystal more than any thing in the entire Lylat System; you know that! I can't live without her! Of course I want her back! I _need _her!" Remaining cool and collected, Falco simply nodded his head slightly.

"I see," he understood. "I suppose that changes things then." He took a moment to sit up straight, clearing his throat while doing so. "Well, Fox, old pal, it looks like you've got yourself in a bit of a rut here."

"Oh, gee, you think?" I sarcastically remarked.

"I'm not finished yet!" he intervened. "Anyway, it's pretty clear to me that you're in a bit of a conundrum. Having had a few serious relationships myself, I completely sympathize with your situation and fully understand your pain and misery."

"Serious relationship? You can't even commit to a brand of toothpaste, much less a woman!" I countered.

"Do you want my help or not?" he threatened. I had no choice but to agree with him on this one; disappointed, I let out an anguished groan and plopped back on the couch.

"All right," he resumed. "That's better. Now, as I was saying, I completely understand your point-of-view and realize that you are going through an extraordinarily difficult time in your life. That being said, there's only one solution I can really recommend for your problem." I couldn't believe it: all of that buildup and anticipation for the answer I already knew was coming.

_Of course there's only one solution: I've got to get her back!_

"You've got to move on, man," he announced. Shocked at his answer, I rolled over on the couch and stared at him, dumbfounded.

"What!?!?" I cried. "You made me go through all of _that _bullshit just now just so you could tell me to 'move on?' What kind of friend are you, man? You know I can't move on from Krystal!"

"Not if you don't give it a try, you can't," he corrected me. Sighing, he picked up his chair and sat down only a few feet from me.

"Look, Fox," he continued, "you're my best friend. Whatever you're going to do, I'm going to support you; no matter what happens, I'll be there to help you out. I realize that you and Krystal had a great thing going; I know that she meant the world to you. Do you honestly think I've forgotten about all those nights you kept me up, asking how you should approach her, or talk to her, or act around her? Or about how often you told me how much you loved her? Or about how badly you wanted to marry her? Or about how much you wanted to give up the Star Fox Team so you could move to Sauria and have pups with her? Or about—"

"All right, all right, all right, Falco!" I halted him. "I get the picture!"

"Just checking," he replied. "My point is; I know you've been through a lot. I know you and Krystal had a great thing going on. I'm sorry that it had to end; if there were some way you could find her and get it started again, that's what I'd be telling you to do right about now. I just think that's a bit unrealistic, that's all."

_What do you mean by "unrealistic?"_

"Having said that," he resumed "I think the best thing to do is to pick up the pieces and move on. You know, try dating somebody else." His words stung my soul like a wasp; how could my best friend betray me with such harsh words?

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I exclaimed. "What the fuck is wrong with you, Falco? I date Krystal for two fucking years, fall madly in love with her, break up with her only a week ago, and you expect me to just 'pick up the pieces' and try dating somebody else? I'm not ready for that yet! It's _way _too soon! I'm still in love with Krystal, man! Hell, I'll probably _always _be in love with her, she means that much to me! How, in your right mind, can you _possibly _expect me to move on?"

"It's pretty simple, really," he began to justify his argument. "Just go to Corneria this week and look for somebody you like. It shouldn't be _that _hard…I mean, come on! You're Fox McCloud! Chicks practically _throw _themselves at you!" Noticing the negative effect his solution was having on me (my face began to swell with rage and my cheeks were a shade of rosy red), he abandoned that stratagem very quickly.

"Or," he amended, "I could try setting you up on a blind date this weekend. If it doesn't turn out well, I promise that you don't have to listen to any of my advice ever again." Although I was rather disinterested in going on any sort of date, I decided that the latter aspect of Falco's proposal appealed to me; so far, his advice proved to be very much irrelevant, if not downright useless.

"You'll give me no more advice, period?" I sought clarification.

"No more advice, period," he swore. Despite my reluctance, I agreed.

"All right, fine. But just this once!"

"Trust me, buddy, you're not going to regret this!" he exclaimed, jumping out of his seat. "I better start looking!" With that, he sped out of the room; where to, I have no idea. That didn't really matter, though: I was just glad to finally be alone.

"Well, that experiment was a failure," I dryly remarked to myself. Sighing, I moved towards the window, taking a seat against the window sill. Gazing out at the infinite vastness of the Lylat System, sparsely illuminated by faintly shimmering stars, I couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholic irony come over me. In a way, I was kind of like the world out there: cold, dark, and lonesome.

"At least some one knows how I feel," I sighed.

* * *


	3. III: Wonderful Tonight

**7/8/09**

**Dear Readers,**

**Welcome to the third installment of **_**Forever Yours**_**. As always, I would like to take this time to ask for you to review this chapter as soon as you have finished reading it; your questions, thoughts, and concerns do matter to me and I do take them into account as I write.**

**I have a feeling that this chapter will cost me a significant number of readers; after you have read this, I think you'll know why. While your frustration is understandable, I would like to remind every one that this is, by no means, the end of this story; in fact, it is only the beginning. Try to stay cool; things will get better. I guarantee you that this story will be deep, entertaining, and satisfying for all who choose to read it with the patience and respect necessary for full enjoyment. **

**Now, at the risk of alienating my entire fan base, I present to you the third chapter of **_**Forever Yours**_**.**

**--Dwarves**

**P.S. Unfortunately, I do believe the time has come for me to change the rating of this story from "T" to "M." I must say I'm a little disappointed about that: I was hoping to establish a larger readership before I was forced to do that. Oh well, though...just letting you all know for future reference.**

* * *

**III: "Wonderful Tonight"**

"I'm guessing McCloud probably wouldn't be too happy if he saw you and me right now, huh?" Wolf remarked in jest. A modest statement; if Fox had walked into the room at that very moment, he would have gone berserk. Even _that _is an understatement: Fox would have gone insane with rage had he seen what just happened between Wolf and I; he would have been witnessing his worst nightmare.

"Probably not," I giggled, nuzzling my face in his chest. My, how quickly things had changed: a short time ago I would never have consented to engaging in such behavior with Wolf. Indeed, the time seemed to have flown by faster than my Arwing at top speed: had it really only been a few hours since I found myself in the darkest depths of despair, mourning the loss of my beloved Fox? How was it possible that, over the course of a single evening, I had managed to go from being a sworn enemy of Wolf O'Donnell to his…_lover_?

_Most certainly not; Wolf O'Donnell is a twisted, despicable excuse of a man._

_You must be joking; this is not the same Wolf O'Donnell I knew while in Star Fox. This man is _far _different from the conniving, ruthless pirate I once knew. This Wolf is sweet, caring, and considerate; he's the antonym of that vile barbarian._

_What of your past with him, then? Does that mean nothing to you now? Are you willing to simply disregard your past encounters with him for one serendipitous instance of compassion? Do you truly wish to reconsider your opinion of him, despite the fact that you have experienced his wicked ways firsthand? How could you do such a thing?_

The past is of no significance to me; it means nothing. The past is a roadblock; it is an obstacle barring the path of forward progress. Is it not possible for people to change? Can not people strive to overcome their personal failures and misgivings so that they might better themselves? Is Wolf not a man, and therefore party to the conditions that we are all subjected to? Is it entirely implausible to expect him to change? It is not; I know full well that he can, if he has not already.

_Oh, Krystal, how naïve you are: Wolf is an infernal creature whose cruelty knows no limits._

_Wolf is no longer that man. I tell you, he has changed; he has defeated his past and has become a new person. I trust in him; I believe in him. _

_What, then, of Fox? Are you simply going to eliminate all memory of him?_

_Fox is dead to me; I wish I had never known him._

"You all right there, Krystal?" he asked. I lifted my head up, caught somewhat off guard.

"I beg your pardon?" I replied. He shrugged his shoulders.

"You just seem kind of quiet now, that's all," he clarified. "Is there a problem?"

_What do you mean, "There's a problem?" Of course there's a problem: I just slept with you!_

"Oh, no," I lied. "I am more than okay at present. I'm just…enjoying your presence, that's all." Returning to the sanctuary I found buried deep inside his chest, I smiled and closed my eyes. He wrapped his arms around me, baring his teeth and displaying his famous (or perhaps notorious) fanged grin. Generally, this look was used to convey feelings of sadistic amusement or devious pleasure. Something was different, however: I didn't sense any sort of malice or mischief emanating from him. On the contrary, he seemed rather comfortable and satisfied, as if he were at peace with nature; he didn't seem to be conflicted.

"Good to hear," he muttered. Clearing his throat, he then continued: "I…want to apologize for putting you in such an awkward situation right now."

"What ever do you mean by that?" I inquired. He sighed.

"I can't help but feel like I've got you at a bad time," he elaborated. "You just got out of a pretty serious relationship with a guy you really cared about…I guess I just feel like I'm taking advantage of you, you know? Clearly, you're extremely vulnerable right now, and I can't help but feel like I might have exploited that weakness so I could get close to you. I know you're still hurting about Fox, and I guess I'm worried that I may have made things worse by bringing you back here with me. I mean, you dated Fox for a _really _long time, and I know you still have feelings for him. I'm sure you didn't expect this to happen, and I'm worried that I might be leaving you more confused and disoriented than you were to begin with, you know? I just hope I didn't…fuck things up by making love to you right now. I'm really sorry if I did." Yet another surprising display of emotion from the man I previously saw as cold and heartless. Once again, I was in utter awe: since when did Wolf have a conscience?

"Oh, Wolf," I whispered, "don't worry. I'm not upset at all. Actually, I feel rather…pleased and satisfied. I'm feeling very happy at the moment. You're absolutely right; I was feeling very insecure earlier about…well, every thing, really, but I think I'm done with that. After all…_you're _here now."

"What about McCloud?" he queried. I chuckled slightly.

"As far as I'm concerned, Fox is ancient history to me," I assured. "You're _far _better to me than he _ever _was."

_You…how could you betray Fox like that? He loved you more than any thing; he would've given up his life for you. All he wanted to do was to make you happy; he treated you like a queen, and _this _is how you repay him? How can you live with yourself?_

_If he truly loved me, he never would've left me._

"You sure about that?" he persisted. "I mean, it's only been a week. Honestly, it's fine with me if you still care about him. I understand."

"Trust me, Wolf," I bluntly stated, "I am over Fox McCloud."

_You're a liar. You love Fox more than any thing and nothing you do or say is ever going to change that._

_No…I don't love him. He abandoned me and left me for dead. I don't love Fox McCloud; I hate him now and I'll hate him always._

_You'll always love him; you're just too scared to admit it._

_I don't love him._

_You do love him._

"All right," he casually agreed, "what ever you say." Lifting up my head and staring deep into my eyes, he smiled.

"You look wonderful tonight," he complimented, running his fingers down my side, causing me to arch my back in pleasure. In response, I began to gently stroke his chest.

"You're very kind, Wolf," I thanked. He grinned.

"I try."

* * *

And so we lied there, unclothed, entwined in each other's arms, for the rest of the night, enjoying each other's company, discussing what the future might hold for us, delving into each other's personal lives. I must say that the connection and synergy I felt with Wolf that night was unlike any thing I had ever felt before; not even Fox and I had shared such an intimate evening before.

_Liar. You relished every second you spent alone with Fox. This is nothing compared to what you and Fox had; this is loveless sport._

Wolf offered to let me stay on the ship with him for a while. "At least until you can get every thing sort out," as he put it. Not having a place to stay and feeling somewhat obligated to him, I accepted his offer. Clearly, this made him happy, as his face beamed with glee.

"I'll introduce you to the gang tomorrow," he promised.

* * *

Regardless of what joy or exuberance I may have felt that night, one thought continued to plague my mind, tormenting me at every possible opportunity.

_Fox._

Indeed, despite my claims to the contrary, I was still very much in love with Fox McCloud. I have a feeling I always will. After all, Fox was my first (and maybe only) love; I devoted over two years of my life to him. I did everything with him: I worked with him, I played with him, I laughed with him, I cried with him, I spent most of my time with him…it's difficult for me to recall a time when Fox _wasn't _in my life. I loved him dearly; I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. I still do. I knew all too well that Wolf couldn't replace Fox: no one could. That pained me dearly; it seemed that however hard I may have tried to hate Fox, I simply could not stop loving him.

_Oh, Fox…I never knew you could be so cold._

* * *


End file.
